Toy ball



T. M. GREGORY. TOY BALL.-

APPLICATION FILED 'MAY25, I918. 1,356,817. Patented 001;. 26,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

T. M. GREGORY. TOY BALL- APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, I918.

' 1,356,81 7. Patented Oct. 26, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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2s pouch or ball member deflated and with the I nippleand valve therein. Fig. 6 is a s1de UN TED STATES PA ENT FI THOMAS M. GREGORY, oF'AKRon, oHIo.

' TOY BALL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. GREGORY, a citizen of the 'United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State 5 of Ohio, have invented certain new and use .ful Improvements in Toy Balls, of whlch the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to a toy ball and the invention consists in a combined inflatalso inflated. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the toy deflated and showing the internal rubber member or ball in dotted lines. Fig. 4: is a sectional view, enlarged, of the nipple portion of the rubber ball and its cover. Fig. .5 is a perspective view of the rubber vlewof thecover or jacket folded, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the rubber ball Without the nipple and valve. Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of the nipple or mouthpiece with the collapsible valve sleeved thereon. Fig. 9 is a detail of the rubber band or strap to fasten the parts together. Fig. 10 is a detail view of the wood nipple, and Fig. 11 a detail of the flat rubber tube which forms the valve.

In general, the toy comprises a thin rubber inflatable member I) inclosed within and protected by a textile cover 0. Separately considered, the part referred to herein as the ball member I) is characterized by a short neck a of relatively small diameter having an annular enlargement or bead 2 of rubber about the top thereof and which bead serves a special purpose in connection with the cover as hereinafter described. This neck contains a valve v made of a piece of flat rubber tubing expanded and sleeved at one end upon the wooden nipple or mouth piece 4 and with its opposite end extending into the ball in its flat or collapsed state to provide an air-tight valve, especially when the ball is stretched and inflated. The said nipple 4, so called, isa small mouth piece made of Wood or other solid material oc' Speciiication ofLettersiatenlh Patented Oct. 26,1920. Application filedMay '25, 1913." Serial No. 236,613." i

cupyingthe neckof the ball within theouter portion of the valve and adapted to be 'middle' to receive-the rubber band 5 in binding relation about the neck a, and thus secure the valve tube on the nipple and-both together in said neck. This completes the equipment of the rubber ball member proper formypresentuse. H l v cooperatlng member or The other and part 'is the. stitched cover or jacket 6 of greater size than the rubb'er member b. 1 This is made say of cotton, .silk, or' other: light textile fabric cut into equal sections shaped to produce a spherical outline with the axis or poles thereof at the points where the ex-' tremities of the said sections intersect. One of these axial or polar points is left permanently open to engage about the base of the neckof the ball member I), and in manufacturing the article usually one of'the seam lines of the cover is left unstitched part way from said opening 6 to insert the ball member 6, or the stitching at said intersecting points may beleft open more or less all around for this purpose. After ball mem' her I) is inserted in the cover the stitching is completedtoclose the opening to approximately the same diameter as the neck and nipple.

In practice the ball member I) is made of 1 the best rubber stock to provide reserve "strength and capacity to be inflated considerably in excess of the confines of the cover, so that when the limit ofinflation within the cover is reached and the cover fully distended the rubber will have reserve elasticity'and danger of disruption by play or handling will be reduced to the minimum.

The bead 2 on the neck of the ball mem- I her 6 has the important function of confin ing'said ball member and the cover in 00- operating'relations and especially serves to prevent the'thrusting of the member binto the cover so when the partsare deflated. The same purpose might in part be served by beadingor enlarging the top of the nipple 92, but a flexible lip about the mouth piece is preferred and it is large enough in any I V case to preventthe ball with its nipple and bead equipment from being forced inward through the opening 6. Furthermore, by having the opening 6 in the pole of the cover where the sections thereof come together it of the nipple therein, although the opening 6 is closed tightly about the nipple. This provides a :cover which left intact and symmetrical as originally made, and the article when inflated may be bounced and handled without objectionable results, notwithstanding, the slight protuberance atthe nipple. VThis protuberance is made short purposely, and the rubber bead protects the wood nipple from splitting in bouncing the ball on hard surfaces. The nipple n is described as erigid,rand practical vrigidity is required as abase' upon which-to engage the ball and the, cover inworking relations.

7 The ball is easily deflated by inserting a small stick ,orinstrument through'the nipple an'd the valve,- and it may be inflated as easily by blowing through the nipple. To

make the toy attractive the cover sections are usually designed in various color schemes or combinations, say the national colors of red, white and blue, or the red, black and yellow of Belgium, and the like. i

What I claim is: As a new article of manufacture, an in- V flatable toy ball made ofthin rubber having a short neck with an annular head of rubber,

a short tubular rigid mouthpiece occupying saidneck and projecting within the ball and terminating at saidbead, a flat-sided selfclosing valve sleeved partially over said mouth piece, binding means surrounding said neck and valve andmou'th piece contiguous to said head," and a light textile cover made of sections stitchedtogether and having a small permanent opening engaged v 7 about the ball neck upon said mouth iece. Signed at Akron, in the county of mit, and State of Ohio, this 21st day. of. May, 1918.

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